In a push to curb air pollution, China has been urging its cities to rely more heavily on natural gas and less on coal. But a shortage of natural gas is threatening that goal, as urban populations boom and domestic gas production lags, Reuters reports. Chinese officials have said that to reduce air pollution the most densely populated parts of Beijing should use only gas heat, which limits the supply of natural gas for smaller cities and forces those cities to rely on coal. Pollution levels in Chinese cities commonly exceed World Health Organization guidelines by 40 to 50 times. The problem is most pronounced in northern China, where air pollution from burning coal has already shortened life expectancy by 5.5 years compared to the southern part of the country. China’s natural gas shortage is expected to be 10 percent higher this year than last year, since more users have switched from coal. Authorities are rationing natural gas and prioritizing its use for homes and transportation, but experts don’t expect the shortage to subside anytime soon.
Low on Natural Gas, China Cities Will Face Choking Air Pollution
More From E360
-
Climate
How Climate Risks Are Putting Home Insurance Out of Reach
-
INTERVIEW
Inside the Plastics Industry Playbook: Delay, Deny, and Distract
-
Biodiversity
Freeing Captive Bears from Armenia’s Backyards and Basements
-
Food & Agriculture
In Indonesia’s Rainforest, a Mega-Farm Project Is Plowing Ahead
-
FILM CONTEST WINNER
In the Yucatan, the High Cost of a Boom in Factory Hog Farms
-
INTERVIEW
In the Transition to Renewable Energy, China Is at a Crossroads
-
E360 Film Contest
In India, a Young Poacher Evolves into a Committed Conservationist
-
E360 Film Contest
The Amazon Rainforest Approaches a Point of No Return
-
Biodiversity
Shrinking Cod: How Humans Are Impacting the Evolution of Species
-
Cities
‘Sponge City’: Copenhagen Adapts to a Wetter Future
-
INTERVIEW
On Controlling Fire, New Lessons from a Deep Indigenous Past
-
Solutions
Paying the People: Liberia’s Novel Plan to Save Its Forests